After many years of political
instability and the dramatic and unforgettable attacks in Sharm el-Sheikh in
2005, Egypt has now made what looks like an unprecedentedly swift return to its
place at the top of the tourist charts. With so many places of interest on
offer, with backpacker facilities and high class luxury hotels alike, with some
of the most beautiful beaches and best sea diving conditions in the world and an
uncompromisingly rich and glorious cultural history to back it up, it’s no
wonder that hoards of us are opting for Egypt holidays once more.

With the sudden rehabilitation of the
tourist industry the country was experiencing certain difficulties simply
because the current air services, many of which were cancelled and never
replaced after 2005, were insufficient. Now, many reputable airlines are serving
Egypt once again. Cheap but better-quality-than-budget airline Fly Monarch are
now serving the major airports in Sharm el-Sheikh and Luxor and making a roaring
trade from
Egypt Holidays. British Airways and BMI have also reopened their Egyptian
runways and are providing a valuable service and Egypt Air – the country’s main
airline – are reporting record profits. In fact, such is the hype surrounding
Egypt right now, even Easy Jet have started to run their own flights into the
country – though spending 5 hours flying with a budget airline who formerly only
served its fellow European nations, no more than 2 hours away, might be a
non-financial price that you are not willing to pay.

There are a few complicating factors
that you will want to consider before you take off. Firstly, all tourists in
Egypt are required to have tourist visas which can be obtained for a period of
no more than three months. Anyone visiting for purposes other than tourism will
need to get themselves an entry visa instead, which works on similar principles.
Visas can be procured from Egyptian diplomatic consulates worldwide and cost
around £15.

Upon arrival, you might want to consider
how to traverse as much of the country as possible during your stay. The easiest
way to get from one place to the next in Egypt is usually by train or by boat,
with the Nile being by far the most pleasant road to take. Hire cars are
notoriously expensive and buses are often unreliable and rather unpleasant. To
be safe, it’s always best to book online in advance or seek advice from your
travel agent.